Gutsy 5-axis strategy and ready-for-anything Cincinnati equipment transform McCann Aerospace Machining into Southeast’s premier independent producer of higher value work

ATHENS, GA – In 1986, John McCann rejoined the family business and worked out a strategic plan with his parents, Bill and June, to accomplish a double transition for McCann Aerospace Machining Corp:

* To the next generation, so they could retire.

* A breakout strategy for growing the company from modest job shop into prime contractor on aerospace parts.

"We saw 5-axis machining as our best opportunity to grow and win higher value work," says John, president/CEO. Carefully planning the move, using knowledge John gained in manufacturing positions with aerospace companies, the family spent the next two years studying 5-axis machining and evaluating machines. (See "Look Long Range," page 16.) Unfortunately, Bill passed away in 1990 shortly after the decision was made to buy the first 5-axis machine.

Father and son had agreed on what that machine should be – a 5-axis Cincinnati 20V-120 Vertical CNC Machining Center. "That was easy," says John. "Cincinnati built the better 5-axis product and had more 5-axis experience." The 20V proved to be everything the company expected, so McCann kept on buying Cincinnati – as many as 17 machines in a single year.

Growth in Jobs, Space, Equipment

Today McCann Aerospace Machining does work for a variety of Boeing plants and programs, for McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) in Macon, GA, for Northrop Grumman in Dallas, TX, and for Lucas Aerospace, in addition to Lockheed and Gulfstream.

In 1996, McCann itself spread out, starting a subsidiary in Macon, GA, with lower overhead than the 5-axis facility. Managed by Marty Bardash, McCann Engineering-Macon specializes in standard 3-axis machining of smaller parts. "This was our core business for the first two decades of the company, and this lets us preserve our competitiveness, customer relationships and market position," says John.

At Athens, McCann Aerospace has set up the facility to run the gamut of aerospace materials – aluminum to titanium – and a wide range of part sizes. "We don't know what jobs we're going to get next, so we've got to be ready to run nearly anything," says John.

Industry trends in the early '90s reinforced that conviction. "We saw aircraft builders moving to consolidate their supplier base into those shops that could do a wide range of work and handle substantial quantities."

He explains how the company's diversity of Cincinnati machines provides such ready-for-anything capability:

• A 3-spindle, 5-axis Vertical CNC Gantry Profiler was bought used from Gulfstream in 1994. Recently retrofitted with a new Vickers Acramatic 2100 PC-based control, it currently runs aluminum vertical and horizontal empennage structures for Boeing.

• Three large 800 mm pallet 5-axis HMCs – two T-35s and the new Magnum H5-800 – machine complex geometry, 3D parts up to a 60" (1524 mm) cube in everything from aluminum to titanium. Created specifically for agile 5-axis/5-sided processing of large parts, the new Magnum optimizes spindle access and continuous contouring capability with its class-leading 180° spindle sweep. Advanced linear roller guideways allow high feedrate machining with smooth axis changes for superb contouring precision.

• A Maxim 630 HMC performs 4-axis machining of higher volume and mixed-lot parts, mainly in steel. These are fixtured on tombstones to provide 4-sided access in one setup. The HMC delivers exceptional spindle torque of 528.5 ft lb. (714.3 Nm) for aggressive metal removal.

• Two 20V 5-axis VMCs with 50-taper spindles have been exceptionally versatile producers. They combine the speed and agility for high-efficiency aluminum contouring with the power and rigidity to machine steels and titanium.

• Ten 50-taper Lancer VMCs, one fitted with a rotary table, machine medium size steel parts and small to medium titanium parts. "They cut just about everything and are really good on tough alloys and titanium," stresses McCann.

• Fourteen assorted 40-taper Arrow and Sabre VMCs and two Avenger turning centers perform general machining on aluminum and smaller steel parts. "I swore I'd never buy another 40-taper vertical after past problems with other brands," he notes, "but the Cincinnati machines have been really solid performers for us. I'm glad we listened to Teck Machine (the Cincinnati Machine distributor) about giving them a try."

• Two new 5-axis Lancer V5-2000 VMCs are McCann Aerospace firsts in two respects, says John. "With 10,000 rpm spindles, they're our first high-speed machines, relative to our previous experience, and they're our first specialized aluminum mills. Everything we've bought until now has been a general purpose machine in terms of spindle speeds and material capability."

The company's up-grade to 5-axis capability made it well positioned when the aerospace market took an up-turn in '95 to '96, says McCann. "We had prepared our operations and our people for the kind of 5-axis work that aerospace was moving to – single-piece parts becoming larger and much more complex."

This is particularly true for a growing industry trend to monolithic airframe parts in place of fabricated multi-component assemblies. The one-piece parts can greatly reduce part counts and the painstaking, laborious handfitting and shimming of components and panels, McCann notes. The aim is to use machining precision to achieve shim-free assembly.

The monolithic parts demand multi-axis machining to create the complex geometries. Computer-controlled spindle manipulation allows processing of multiple surfaces, interior and exterior, without refixturing to avoid "stacking" errors that can compromise fit.

High metal removal rates can also be critical to productivity on monolithic parts, notes McCann. He cites a fuselage component for the F-22 fighter that starts as a 1900 lb. (862 kg) billet of aluminum. The Athens plant machines away more than 99% of the material by weight to create a one-piece 17 lb. (7.7 kg) finished part.

The new Lancer V5-2000s were purchased specifically as dedicated 5-axis aluminum mills. They complement the company's 3-spindle profiler, T-35s and 20Vs to allow processing of monolithic parts in a variety of shapes and sizes. The V5s are being assigned some aluminum work that would previously have run on the T-35s and 20Vs, he notes. "We're able to process the jobs faster, yet at lower machine costs."

Innovative ballscrew drive of the V5 2-axis head gives it the fastest rotational speed and greatest tilt range (±40° in both A and B axes) in its class, while reducing moving mass for smooth feed and axis changes. The combination allows the V5 to speed through complex part routines with high precision, while the standard 40 taper spindle delivers 10,000 rpm and 34.9 continuous hp (26 kW) for optimizing metal removal rates.

Tops at Titanium

The expansion in aluminum capabilities with the new V5s balances the company's processing strengths at the other end of the material spectrum. It is one of the industry's leading shops at machining titanium, particularly landing gear and wing flap components.

"Once you've got it down – the right machines, tooling and processes – you can achieve excellent productivity on titanium," says McCann. "Where lots of shops get put off by the long machining times, we see the positives – long run times enable tremendous spindle utilization and provide great opportunities for incremental improvements. Our Cincinnati Machines – particularly the T-35s, Magnum H5, and standard 50-taper Lancers – provide the rigidity and cutting torque to really let us push our processing efficiencies."

Control Commonality

Standardizing on Cincinnati machine tools provided control commonality to shorten learning curves and ease the transition to 5-axis machining, he says. All the 5-axis machines – 80" X-axis Lancer V5 to the 90 ft (27.5 m) X-axis 3-spindle profiler – feature easy-to-learn-and-use 5-axis machining macros developed by Cincinnati Machine over hundreds of aerospace installations, the most of any machine tool maker.

All the Cincinnati machines use controls from the Acramatic family (A850, A950 or A2100 CNCs), which share the same fundamental operating principles. "That helps us in cross-training by moving people from machine to machine," McCann notes.

He particularly cites the PC-based A2100 in aiding the company's heavy recruitment from technical schools in the state. The A2100 provides a comfortable familiarity for the new PC generation. The Windows-style graphics, touch-screen operation, and step-by-step tutorials are especially effective in developing operator skills and proficiency. "We can start a new, inexperienced person on a standard 3-axis Arrow with A2100 and move them up over time to the 5-axis Lancer without a lot of additional training," he notes.

Building on Trust and Quality People

Innately modest, John McCann attributes the company's success to trusting relationships with suppliers, hard-working quality people, and the values learned from his parents.

"It's much easier to make huge capital investment decisions when you know that the people you're dealing with – the machine tool builder and local distributor – have superior integrity," says John. "We can count on Cincinnati and Teck to stand behind the equipment and be there when we need them. Our relationship with Teck Machine goes back to the early days when George Teck and Bill McCann did business on a trusting handshake."

Today that relationship continues strong into the second generation for both firms, notes John. "I know I'll get straight answers and prompt service from Ferry Rhodes and Tim Teck," he says.

Cincinnati Machine builds rugged machine tools that last, points out McCann. This complements the company's attitude toward people, he stresses. The company works hard at first developing, then keeping skilled employees. "Our people make the difference – first-class people coupled with first-class Cincinnati machine tools."

Finding employees is always a challenge, because the company is located in a university town outside the industrial belt of Atlanta. "But once we get them in the door, we've had excellent success at keeping them," states McCann. "We've been fortunate in our hiring. We have a strong, stable workforce. The work ethic of the people in this part of the country is a major part of our success."

The company appeals to people with a sense of craftsmanship who want to achieve to their highest potential. "If you're a machinist, 5-axis machining and aerospace parts are the height of the art," he stresses.

To reinforce that sense of pride, the company tries to be tops in tools, facilities and housekeeping. Its 60,000 sq ft (5574 m2) Athens machining plant, opened in 1997, is kept at virtually showroom condition. "It's one of the finest aerospace facilities I've ever seen," said Dan Janka, Cincinnati Machine vice president and general manager, Advanced Systems, after touring the new Athens plant.

Finally, John McCann credits his parents for setting the character and direction of the company. "Everything we are today comes straight from my Mom and Dad who put the business together – their pride in work, in not sacrificing quality to the bottom line."

Look Long Range, Prepare Patiently, Then Leap Boldly

"We try very hard to look at the business from a long-term strategic standpoint – beyond short-range financial effects to how something will position us for sales growth and long-term profitability," says John McCann, president/CEO of McCann Aerospace Machining Corp.

"We prepared ourselves over several years for the up-grade to 5-axis machining. In 1989, we were doing about $900,000 a year in sales with four N/C machines – all 3- or 4-axis – when we invested $60,000 in a sophisticated 5-axis programming system. At the time we had no 5-axis machine, but knew we wanted to move into that kind of high-value work. We felt you need to know how to use and program the system before you even put a machine tool on the floor. We spent two years preparing ourselves, so when we did get our first 5-axis machine in 1991, a Cincinnati 20V-120, we knew how to use it right away."

Unfortunately, work to use it on was slow in coming. It was kind of a catch-22, recalls McCann. "You've got to have a 5-axis machine before anyone will give you a 5-axis job. We made 3-axis parts on the 5-axis 20V and went chasing after 5-axis work. We put the machine in about March 1991 and didn't do a 5-axis job until Fall. Fortunately, we'd saved our money for several years and bought the 20V with cash, so we weren't risking the whole business on 5-axis."

Their next Cincinnati machine was a different matter. "We'd been needing a horizontal, a pretty good size one, so I pushed hard to make it a 5-axis. Later that Fall – just as we were getting going on 5-axis work – we bought a T-35 horizontal from Cincinnati with a 60" (1524 mm) cube work capacity. It cost about $800,000, and this time we had to go for financing. At the time, the machine was worth more than everything else in the company combined – building, land, all the other machines, including the 20V. That's where we threw the dice, but it got us on the map. Even some of the big, sophisticated 5-axis shops didn't have this kind of large 5-axis horizontal capability.

Building on Father’s Legacy

While agreeing on Cincinnati machines, Bill and John McCann didn't always concur on everything. Bill McCann came to the U.S. from Northern Ireland as a professional soccer player, while son John prefers the U.S. version of football. In fact, John dares to differ with nearly everyone in Athens, as a diehard Georgia Tech fan who lives in the University of Georgia Bulldogs' backyard.

John followed parents Bill and June into aerospace machining, but was not always in the family business. In the early '80s he needed to demonstrate his independence and ability to make it on his own. He spent several years as an N/C programmer for General Dynamics in San Diego and then headed the N/C programming department at Gulfstream's aircraft plant in Savannah, GA.

John joined the family business for good in 1986 and today is president/CEO of McCann Aerospace Machining Corp. He regrets that his dad never got to see the results of their growth plan for the business. Everything the company has accomplished, he says, comes directly from perseverance to his dad's belief in education, in the work ethic of the people in the area, and in choosing suppliers on integrity.